Dealing with Mermaid Skirts...

[Zorba]

Its a long story, but the short version is that I have this skirt - it isn't quite a mermaid skirt, but for purposes of conversation its close enough. Its essentially a tube until lower-mid-thigh, then flares outward. Its slightly constricting to walk in, but not bad. No slits, non-stretchy fabric.

My question is: How do I go up steps in this thing? What seems to be the only workable way is to reach down and hike the front up enough to where the flare is now over my knees giving me enough room to make the step.

Any experiences would be appreciated. Makes me wonder how bad a Hobble Skirt would be!

[Big and Bashful]

The hobble skirts I have got, well two hobble skirts and a hobble dress, all make it challenging on the stairs. But not impossible. They leave enough room at the knee to work your way carefully up and down stairs, they are really tight at the ankle. (Boredom, alcohol and curiosity, that is why I bought them, the hobble dress was because I found the skirts keep working their way down me).
The last experiment I will probably buy will be a knee length hobble skirt, I often thing about one but have managed to resist it so far. I would never wear one in public so it seems silly paying out for them, but I have. We need a little fun!

[dillon]

I have a similar issue with a dress I piece-sewed together. The lower part is a straight tube...looks good standing stil but limits one's stride. I decided to avoid stairs when possible. It was made for wearing on my beach walks, which are usually slow, as I am a habitual shell hunter...usually small fragments with unique shapes, textures, and colors, and particularly for the translucent delicate jingles, for making jewelry. The fabric does stretch a bit but only so far. Luckily the parks have ramps to cross protected dunes, so few stairsteps involved.

[skirtyscot]

Sounds like to much bother for me. I like my skirts to let me go up stairs two at a time, though I do have at least one that fails this test, and a few which are borderline. So, gentlemen, can you tell me what the attraction is? I am curious.

[Big and Bashful]

Hard to say what the attraction is, for me anyway. One thing I like about skirts is that they do modify the way you move, from the need to sweep the skirt under you as you sit, to how you cope with gusts of wind or manage long skirts. A skirt is a lot more interactive than a pair of trousers, I remember as a school kid watching the girls in skirts and thinking," Why do they persist in wearing such an impractical garment", closely bollowed by; "Wonder what it's like wearing one". OK, now I wear skirts and like them. However, for some reason, I see ludicrous skirt types, like hoop skirts and hobble skirts and wonder what they feel like to wear. Eventually, with too much wine in me and a computer in front of me, I will order one, just to see what they are like to wear. The multiple hobblers are because I bought one, found the damn thing wouldn't stay up or didn't do what I expected or whatever, then tried to order a better one again.

The hobble skirts or hoop skirts or skirts with trains all modify the way you move in a fairly extreme way, which I like, within limits, i.e. no audience!

[skirtyscot]

I think we need a skirted get-together in your house, B&B!

[Zorba]

Attraction? Just a different style, and the challenge of learning how to deal with it.

[JohnH]

Hard to say what the attraction is, for me anyway. One thing I like about skirts is that they do modify the way you move, from the need to sweep the skirt under you as you sit, to how you cope with gusts of wind or manage long skirts. A skirt is a lot more interactive than a pair of trousers,

While you're at it, why not add heels to the mix? They certainly would modify the way you walk.

John

[Big and Bashful]

Bad ankles and knees which have let me down big time recently, plus 21 stone of me. Hmmm, should I add heels to the mix? maybe not! wheelchairs are expensive! Plus at my height, heels would mean I would be battering my head off most doorframes!

Skirtyscot:
My house is a sort of partially rebuilt 160 year old tip, not really something I want to show off these days! However it is in a wonderful place, looking out over a rather nice loch, I have a good BBQ, which survived somersaulting across my yard in the gales a few days ago, maybe there is scope for a get together sometime!

[Zorba]

Heels intrigue me, but I'm afraid that it would be a short trip to a broken ankle!

[Kirbstone]

As an antidote to somersaulting BBQs, last year I built one on our terrace out of concrete blocks, rendered to make them visually acceptable, metal trays & grids &c. and thick slate surfaces. That however didn't prevent the wind scattering our terrace chairs to the four corners of the garden!!

Alas, at home we've no nice Loch in view to feast our eyes upon, but at our little Kerry Bolthole-by-the-Sea, now that's different. We're celebrating St. Pat's Day down there and they're forecasting half decent weather.

Tom.

[dillon]

Sounds like to much bother for me. I like my skirts to let me go up stairs two at a time, though I do have at least one that fails this test, and a few which are borderline. So, gentlemen, can you tell me what the attraction is? I am curious.

I have always liked the look of long racerback dresses. This is my first dress and first sewing effort. It has a very slimming effect.

[crfriend]

[... F]or some reason, I see ludicrous skirt types, like hoop skirts and hobble skirts and wonder what they feel like to wear.

Hoop skirts are interesting in that when at a standstill nothing touches the legs -- it can be a bit of a disconcerting feeling unless one actually remembers that he *is* wearing something below. Getting them in motion, and managing them in confined spaces can be a bit of a hassle (read, "When learning, know that you WILL knock stuff over that you never thought you would, or even could.") but can be mastered. Sitting in a long one, especially if it's got component pieces that may simulate a bustle, can take work, but the trick there is to get in front of the chair, gently lift the *back* of the skirt up a little bit, and alight on the chair; that'll work most every time.

I have, thus far, successfully resisted the notion of skirts with trains. The idea intrigues me, but with the state of the ground around here, and the floors in the house, it'd be very ill-advised.

[Sinned]

Skirts that inhibit a good free stride and running have no appeal for me. One never knows in what situation a rapid exit stage right might be needed and it may be needed to save your life so I like skirts that allow me freedom to stride, not mince!

[skirtingtoday]

Personally I do not wear any skirt/kilt longer than knee-length. I wish to have freedom of movement to, for instance, run for that bus and wouldn't want any clothing to impede me.

An yway, I recall a joke (not sure if it was here) but it concerns a woman getting on a bus with a fellow standing waiting in the queue just behind her. The bus arrives and she tries to get on but her skirt is so tight she can't stretch her leg up to board.

She then reaches round behind her and pulls the zip down slightly but she still can't get her leg onto the bus platform. She reaches round again and pulls the zip down a little more but again she still can't board.

When she reaches round a third time, the fellow behind her grabs her by the waist and lits her on. Far from being grateful for the help, she turns to the fellow and says, "Why did you do that? I don't even know you!"

The fellow replies that anyone who pulls his zip down three times in a row must know him well enough!